Welcome to Mark’s Excel Tips. Today, we are going to show you how to Lock Cells In Excel. Let’s get started.
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Step 1: Select the Cells You Want to Lock.
Within your Excel spreadsheet, select the cells you want to lock by clicking and dragging to select multiple cells, or you can press and hold Ctrl, and select only specific cells.
Step 2: Open the Format Cells Dialog Box.
Right-click on the selected cells and choose, ‘Format Cells’ from the context menu. You can also press ‘Ctrl + 1’ on your keyboard to open the Format Cells dialog box directly.
Step 3: Go to the Protection Tab.
In the ‘Format Cells’ dialog box, click on the ‘Protection’ tab. This tab allows you to manage protection settings, including locking and hiding cells.
Step 4: Check the ‘Locked’ Option.
In the ‘Protection’ tab, ensure the ‘Locked’ checkbox is selected. By default, all cells are locked, but this setting only takes effect when the worksheet is protected. Click ‘OK’ to close the Format Cells dialog box after checking the Locked option.
Step 5: Protect the Sheet.
To activate the locking, go to the ‘Review’ tab on the Ribbon and then, click on ‘Protect Sheet’ option. This will enable protection for the cells you locked, making them non-editable unless the sheet is unprotected.
Step 6: Set a Password.
(This step is optional). In the ‘Protect Sheet’ dialog box, you can enter a password to prevent others from unlocking the cells. Make sure to remember or save this password, as you’ll need it to unlock the cells later. Click ‘OK’ to apply the protection with, or without the optional password.
Step 7: Confirm Protection.
Click ‘OK’ to confirm sheet protection. If you’ve added a password, you’ll be prompted to confirm it by entering it again, and you will need to Click ‘OK’ once more to finalize the protection settings. Now, your selected cells are locked and cannot be edited unless the sheet is unprotected.
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